Social Media: For Sales Or Brand Awareness?

Social media platforms are a necessary component of any digital marketing strategy, but there seems to be some confusion about whether your social media strategy’s main goal should be brand awareness or customer acquisition. We have seen clients come in with the goal to utilize social media efforts for reach, engagement, and credibility. On the flip side of that, we have customers who come in with a definitive goal of increasing sales. Studies by Sprout Social demonstrate a similar split, documenting that 70% of brands state that brand awareness is the primary goal of their social media strategy, followed by a secondary goal of sales/lead generation.

So, which approach is correct?

They both are, in fact. Social media should be viewed as a channel for both brand awareness and acquisition, and the metrics you analyze should reflect this. Your primary goal when someone follows you on social media is to get them to know, like, and trust you (brand awareness). People buy from people and companies they like and relate to. The only problem with this is that likes don’t equate to sales. This is where your strategy needs to expand to optimize your profiles for sales.

Here's how to use social media within the context of these two critical marketing metrics.

Social Media for Brand Awareness

There are many reasons to use social media as a brand awareness channel. Perhaps the most compelling reason is that social media provides businesses with an unprecedented level of access to their customers. A recent study found that 78% of Americans who use the internet also use social media. This means that almost all of your potential customers are likely already active on social media platforms. Social media platforms offer businesses the ability to interact with their customers directly, in real time, so it’s no surprise that brand awareness falls more in line with social media’s original purpose. This two-way communication allows businesses to build relationships with their customers and create a sense of loyalty. In addition, social media platforms offer businesses unparalleled reach. By creating social media profiles for your business and using effective marketing techniques, you can greatly increase brand awareness and reach more potential customers.

Social Media Campaigns: Creating a social media campaign for brand awareness can be a daunting task. However, if you approach it in the right way, it can be an incredibly effective way to reach new customers and grow your business. The first step is to come up with a strong campaign idea that will engage your target audience. Once you have that nailed down, you can start developing creative content and messaging that will capture attention and help you stand out from the competition. Finally, make sure to actively promote your campaign on all of your social media channels. The more people who see it, the more likely it is to succeed.

Social Content: When you create great content, you're doing more than just providing information or entertainment – you're also building your brand. Quality content can help you to attract and retain customers, differentiate your business from the competition, and even boost your search engine ranking. But creating great content isn't easy. It takes time, effort, and commitment. You need to produce something that's both relevant and interesting to your target audience, and you need to find ways to promote it effectively.

Partnering with Businesses and Influencers: When it comes to marketing, partnering with the right businesses and influencers can be incredibly beneficial for brand awareness. By collaborating with other brands, you can reach new audiences that you may not have been able to reach on your own. Additionally, partnering with influencers can help increase trust and credibility among potential customers. Make sure that the partnership is a good fit for both brands. The partnership should be something that both brands can benefit from, and it should be something that the audience will find interesting.

Social Media For Acquisition and Sales

Social media can be an extremely effective way to acquire new customers. If you haven't already established a social media lead generation strategy, now is a great time to do so. You could actively turn your social media work into profit by converting interested followers into potential clients.

When it comes to social media lead generation, think about your strategy in terms of creating a simple, frictionless experience for potential customers. Create interesting and timely offers and then use clear and concise calls to action on your social media pages. Make it easy for them to find the information they need and take the actions you want them to take. Do you want them to click on the link in your bio to visit to your website? Is your goal to send them to a landing page where you can exchange a lead magnet for their email address? If you can get the process down to two or three clicks, you’re on the right track. Also, be sure to ask for only the information you need. The more data you request, the more likely people are to abandon the process. Keep it simple, and you’ll be able to gather the information you need while keeping your conversion rates high.

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Social media is an essential component of any smart marketing strategy today, whether it is focusing on brand awareness or acquisition. Defining the goals of your social media strategy can help ensure that you're measuring the right outcomes, making it much easier to demonstrate that your efforts are worthwhile. The bottom line is that social media should be an essential part of any smart marketing strategy today. It’s a great way to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and drive traffic and sales.

Feeling stuck on your social media content and sales funnel? Slantics offers a complimentary strategy session to help you work through your marketing struggles. Find out what your social media goals are today!